Containers

ABSTRACT

A disposable cup provided with a gift token to promote sales, the cup being double walled, and having a portion which is defined by a line of weakness and which can be detached to constitute the token, or which can be bent back to reveal the token. The token is preferably the central part of the outer bottom wall, and includes a tab which projects to the bottom edge for easy detachment.

United States Patent 1191 1111 3,850,361 Day et al. Nov. 26, 1974 [54]CONTAINERS 2,335,636 11/19:?g Bodie 20 /2010. 22 2,433,926 1 19 S 9 1.5B [75] Inventors: Rben Day, Brackneu; James 2,867,365 1/1959 T212116229/1.5 c Blyth, Bflnbury, both of England 3214075 10/1965 Cl'lflnplln206/010. 22 3,415,412 12/1968 Robinson 220/54 [73] Asslgnees' T i g both3,456,860 7/1969 166611161 229/1.5 B Oug 3,734,276 /1973 Bzlnk 2(16/D1G.22 [22] Filed: Sept. 13, 1972 3.762.628 /1973 Sargent 206/D1G. 22 [21] Al N 288 609 R24,962 4/1961 Loderhosc 2.29/70 Primary Examiner-George E.Lowrance Foreign Application Priority Data Attorney, Agent, orFirmRobert W. Beart; Edward Sept. 16, 1971 0166113111616 43230/71 Benno[52] U.S. Cl. 229/l.5 B, /306, 40/324, [57 ABSTRACT 206/232, 229/70 511161.01 Bd 1/12, 865d 81/36 A dlsposable cuP Y' a token [58] Field ofSearch U 2229/15 B L5 C mote sales, the cup bemg double walled. andhaving a ZONING 22 220/9. 40/306 307 portion which is defined by a lineof weakness and which can be detached to constitute the token, or whichcan be bent back to reveal the token. The token 56] References Cited ispreferably the central part of the outer bottom wall, and includes a tabwhich projects to the bottom edge UNITED STATES PATENTS for y detachment1.536.716 5/1925 Kade 206/D1G. 22 1,607,864 11/1926 Butler 229/1.5 C 1Claim, 2 Drawing Figures CONTAINERS For the purpose of encouraging salesby the making of premium offers, it is desirable to associate an articlewhich is sold with a token which can be collected by the purchaser andredeemed for a gift or otherwise. The present invention is concernedwith making this procedure applicable to a new class of goods, namelydrinks sold from vending machines.

According to the present invention, a disposable cup has an inner walland an outer wall, the outer wall having a frangible line of weaknesswhich defines a portion of the wall which can be bent back to reveal atoken, or a portion which can be detached to constitute a token.

One cup which embodies this invention is described below with referenceto the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the cup; and

FIG. 2 is an axial section through the lower portion of the cup.

The cup is of the disposable plastics type, as delivered containingdrinks from vending machines. It comprises an outer wall surrounding aninner wall 12 and defining between them an insulating nonconductingspace 14. The top of the inner wall is curled outwards and downwards toform a bead 15 over the outwardly projecting rim of the inner wall, notvisible, to fasten the two walls together and provide a smooth rim fordrinking. Ribs 16 surrounding the outer wall assist manual gripping, andshelves l8 surrounding the base prevent the cups when stacked fromjamming into one another.

In accordance with the present invention, in the base 20 of the outerwall a line of weakness 22 is formed. The line lies on about 340 of acircular arc, but smoothly curves radially outwards at the two ends ofthat arc to define between them a tab 24. The lines of weakness whichdefine the edges of the tab extend to the periphery of the bottom outerwall. and a small distance up the side wall. A line of weakness 26,lying in the bottom near the periphery of the bottom, intersects thentransversely, defining the extremity of the tab, and the edge of a flap27.

In use, after the cup has been filled, dispensed and the contents drunk.it can be split open by upward outward pressure on the edge portion ofthe cup adjacent to the line 26. The side edges of the tab 24 can thenbe split by pulling the tab away from the inner wall, and the splittingprogressively moves around the circular arc until the central frustoconical portion 28 of the base of the lower outer wall, with the tab,are detached from the rest of the cup to constitute a token. The tokencan be retained and sent, with many others, to redeem an advertisedoffer.

The token can have identifying markings imprinted on it or in it duringits manufacture.

The lines of weakness can be defined by mere local thinness or can be aseries of slots or slits alternating with small bridges of uncutmaterial. The line of weakness does not introduce any risk of leakagebecause of the continuous inner wall. In one example, a circular tokenabout 3 cm. diameter is connected to the rest of the cup by four or fivebridges, each about 1 mm. wide.

The line of weakness can be introduced during the course of moulding theouter cup from sheet material. by differential pressure with mechanicalassistance, for which purpose the mould must have small ridges where thematerial is to be thin or interrupted. Alternatively, the line ofweakness may be formed by a separate operation, either cold or hot.

Having the part 28 located in a central part of the bottom of the outerwall, is safer than having it anywhere else on the surface of the cupbecause it is not likely to be prematurely dislodged either by a handgrasping the cup, or by standing the cup on a flat surface.

However, the invention does include the possibility of the area being inthe side wall, or partly in the side and partly in the bottom, althoughit is more convenient for the token to be substantially flat.

In a different cup, not shown, a coin or similar token is placed betweenthe two bottom surfaces of the cup walls before the inner and outerwalls are slid together.

The outer wall has imparted to it during moulding a severable flapdefined by an arcuate line of weakness. The flap can be fractured bymanual pressure, then bent back to release the coin.

Although the invention has been described in relation to a cup ofplastics material, it is applicable to cups of metal foil, paper orsimilar continuous sheet materials.

We claim:

1. A disposable plastic cup comprising an outer cup and an inner cupdisposed within said outer cup with an insulating air spacetherebetween, the upper end of said inner cup curled outwardly anddownwardly over the upper end of said outer cup to join said inner andouter cups together and to form a drinking rim. the bottom wall of saidinner cup being substantially flat, the bottom wall of said outer cuphaving a circular center portion, a first annular wall extendingupwardly from said circular center portion, a second annular wallextending from the top of said first annular wall downwardly andoutwardly to the lower end of the side wall of said outer cup wherebysaid first and second annular walls form an annular upwardly projectingsupporting rib immediately beneath said flat bottom wall of said innercup, the junction of said first and second annular walls being formed asa circular weakened line which is discontinuous over one segmentthereof, and radial weakened lines extending from the ends of saidcircular weakened line to the side wall of said outer cup to form afrangible tab for fracturing and removing said circular center portion.

1. A disposable plastic cup comprising an outer cup and an inner cupdisposed within said outer cup with an insulating air spacetherebetween, the upper end of said inner cup curled outwardly anddownwardly over the upper end of said outer cup to join said inner andouter cups together and to form a drinking rim, the bottom wall of saidinner cup being substantially flat, the bottom wall of said outer cuphaving a circular center portion, a first annular wall extendingupwardly from said circular center portion, a second annular wallextending from the top of said first annular wall downwardly andoutwardly to the lower end of the side wall of said outer cup wherebysaid first and second annular walls form an annular upwardly projectingsupporting rib immediately beneath said flat bottom wall of said innercup, the junction of said first and second annular walls being formed asa circular weakened line which is discontinuous over one segmentthereof, and radial weakened lines extending from the ends of saidcircular weakened line to the side wall of said outer cup to form afrangible tab for fracturing and removing said circular center portion.